DAIRY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS ARE CHALLENGED BY ANIMAL MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WHEN COWS BEGIN LACTATING AND ARE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE DISEASE. THERE IS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE, ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP, AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF DAIRY PRODUCTION BY IMPROVING IMMUNE FUNCTION DURING THIS CRITICAL TIME. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS THAT WILL HELP IMPROVE THE FUNCTION OF AN ANIMAL'S IMMUNE SYSTEM BY IMPROVING NUTRITION AND MANAGEMENT DURING THE TIME WHEN AN ANIMAL GIVES BIRTH AND BEGINS LACTATING. FIRST, WE WILL DETERMINE WHICH NUTRIENTS IMMUNE CELLS USE, THEN WE WILL LIMIT THOSE NUTRIENTSTO FIGURE OUT IF IMMUNE CELLS STILL CAN RESPOND AND CARRY OUT THEIR IMMUNE FUNCTIONS WHEN NUTRIENTS ARE LIMITED. SECOND, WE WILL PROVIDE COWS WITH CALCIUM WHEN THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS ARE ACTIVATEDTO DETERMINE IF CALCIUM WORSENS THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE. WE WILL SHARE OUR RESEARCH FINDINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE BETTER INFORMED AND INNOVATIVE DECISIONS THAT USE NUTRITION TO PROMOTE HEALTH. BY KEEPING ANIMALS HEALTHY, WE CAN PROTECT ANIMAL WELFARE, DECREASE ANTIMICROBIAL USE, AND ENHANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF DAIRY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators